The Denver Post's Adrian Dater and Mike Chambers post analysis, notes, video, chats and more on this blog focusing on the Colorado Avalanche.

Matt Duchene was expecting to hear a whistle. The Avalanche center knew he was offside. The puck was behind him when he crossed the Nashville Predators' blue line. His breakaway bid was going to be waved off.

Duchene drove to the net anyway, didn't hear a whistle to stop play, and ripped a wrist shot inside the near post to beat goalie Chris Mason.

Good goal, bad call.

The nonreversible blunder counted and served as one of a handful of strange bounces in the Avs' wild 6-5 victory over the stunned Predators, who entered with the lowest goals-against average (1.67) in the NHL and had beaten Colorado in nine consecutive games.

Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov reacts to giving up a goal during the first period Monday at the Pepsi Center. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Duchene, the No. 1 star of the Presidents Day matinee at the Pepsi Center, added two assists for his second consecutive three-point game, and newcomer Aaron Palushaj produced a goal and two assists in his fourth game with the Avs.

The No. 3 star could have been linesman Derek Amell, who mistakenly allowed Duchene to proceed with his breakaway. Duchene was trying to receive a stretch pass through the neutral zone from linemate P.A. Parenteau when a Nashville defender tipped the puck to interrupt the timing of the play. One of hockey's simple rules is the puck, or puck carrier, must cross the offensive blue line first before an attack can be forged.

"I didn't hear a whistle. I thought I'd touch it and hear a whistle," Duchene said. "From what I heard, it wasn't a great call, but this team has had so many bounces, and to get a good one like that, we're not complaining."

Predators coach Barry Trotz went ballistic after Duchene scored on a confused Mason, complaining that it was obvious offside. Amell might have thought the Predators defender had control of the puck and played it into his own end.

"The league already verified it should have been an offside," Trotz said. "The explanation from the crew here unfortunately ... they said we passed it back. We didn't pass it back ... and that's why they didn't blow the whistle. The league has already talked to us about it. It's just one of those things. Everybody has a bad day."

Duchene's goal gave the Avs a 3-1 lead and served as the first of seven goals in the second period. Every time Nashville got back in the game, the Avs answered quickly.

Fifty seconds after Mike Fisher made it 3-2, Chuck Kobasew gave the Avs another two-goal lead. And after Colin Wilson trimmed the Predators' deficit to 4-3, Paul Stastny made it 5-3. And 16 seconds after that, Colorado's lead grew to 6-3 on Jamie McGinn's one-time blast, which ended the afternoon for Mason (six goals on 18 shots).

"Crazy game out there, that's for sure. It was entertaining for the fans, not so much for the coaches," said Avs coach Joe Sacco, whose team has gained points in three of their last four games. "But bottom is, we found a way to win."

Sacco stuck with battered goalie Sem yon Varlamov, who was peppered with 38 shots one game after he faced 56 at Edmonton on Saturday. Varlamov took the loss in the meltdown against the Oilers, who trailed 3-0 and 4-1 in that game.

Varlamov made two excellent saves early in the third period against the Predators and kept it 6-4 until Shea Weber scored with 1:12 to play after Trotz pulled goalie Pekka Rinne for a 6-on-5 advantage.

The Avs have allowed 10 non-empty net goals in two games.

"I don't think we were really pleased with that game," Avs defenseman Ryan O'Byrne said. "We need to tighten up defensively. Too many chances. Bad changes, guys (getting) behind us. Too many penalties. Too many missed assignments. We can't give up that many scoring chances and be successful in this league."

The essence of the NHL offside rule is the attacking team must not precede the puck into the attacking zone. If a player legally carries or passes the puck back into his defending zone while a player of the opposing team is in such defending zone, the offside shall be ignored and play permitted to continue.

The Post's three stars1. Matt Duchene. Avs center had a goal and two assists for his second straight three-point game.2. Aaron Palushaj. Goal and two assists for the Avs winger.3. Sergei Kostitsyn. Preds forward had a goal and was plus-3 in 17:33.

What you might have missed. Duchene played 22:12, most among Colorado forwards, and led the team in hits (six), takeaways (two) and faceoffs won (19). He was on the ice during only one of Nashville's goals.

Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended ThursdayWhat the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.

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